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Child Rights Initiative – Care in Jamaica

Volunteer social work in JamaicaThe Child Rights Initiative (CRI) is a Care project that combines the four broad categories of children’s rights based on UNICEF’s Convention of the Rights of the Child, namely Participation Rights, Survival Rights, Developmental Rights, and Protection Rights. CRI directly addresses the social needs of children in Jamaica while utilizing the skills of volunteers in related fields.

Volunteers who are interested in gaining experience in social work, psychology, sociology, family life education, guidance, and counseling are particularly suited for this project. Though volunteers who have studied a related subject at university will be especially helpful, no previous experience is needed.

Volunteer for Children’s Rights with Projects Abroad

Volunteers joining this project for just two weeks or one month focus on one of the four areas below. If you are joining the project for two months or more, it’s possible to gain experience in more than one area.

Volunteer with children's rights in JamaicaParticipation Rights involves the right of children to freely express opinions and to have a say in matters that affect their social, economic, religious, cultural, and political life. Participation rights include the right to express opinions and be heard, the right to information and freedom of association. Projects Abroad Jamaica has partnered with the Rotary Club of Mandeville to establish EarlyAct clubs. EarlyAct is a school-wide service club for elementary students from ages 5 to 13. EarlyAct provides young students with the opportunity to gain an increased awareness and knowledge of their community and the world.

Volunteers are responsible for coordinating and managing the activities of the clubs and ensuring that planned projects take place. Some activities may take place outside of the normal school week and volunteers are therefore required to have a full commitment to the Participation Rights component of CRI.

Survival Rights focuses on the most basic, essential requirements needed for a child’s survival. This includes the right to adequate food, shelter, and clean water. The Ministry of Labor and Social Security through the Program for Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH), runs this program. PATH is a government assisted program which provides support to poor and vulnerable families. We focus on working with children from birth to the completion of secondary school.

Volunteers work alongside a local social worker and assist with writing reports, investigations, background assessments, home visits, and school visits.

Developmental Rights includes the right to formal education, primary health care, leisure, recreational and cultural activities, and information about these rights. Projects Abroad is working with the Mico Child Assessment and Research in Education (CARE) Center on these aspects of the project. The program is geared toward providing special education services to school children with various disabilities that affect their learning. Services offered include psychological and educational assessment, counseling, workshops and seminars for parents and teachers, and speech and language evaluations.

Volunteers assist with parent interviews, group assessments, observation of psychological and educational assessments, preparing reports, and the planning and implementation of workshops and seminars.

Protection Rights involves protecting the child from all harm and danger including physical, sexual, emotional, and psychological abuse, child labor, violence, and all forms of exploitation. The organization with primary responsibility for this area is the Child Development Agency (CDA).

The CDA is the result of a merger between Children Services Division, the Adoption Board, and the Child Support Unit. The CDA is responsible for arranging adoptions, foster care, counseling, family support, family reintegration, and case management.

The CDA aims to safeguard children from becoming at risk through advocacy of child rights and the development of public awareness of children’s issues.

Volunteers work alongside a Children’s Officer assisting with collecting and documenting information from new clients and receiving reports of possible child abuse, neglect and abandonment. Volunteers may also assist with investigative field work, counseling, case planning and case management.

Other tasks can include making court appearances with the Children's Officer on the behalf of children, preparing reports, and helping with other general administrative and clerical duties associated with the Children's Officer’s responsibilities.

This project is available for less than a month if you don't have time to join us for a month or more. This project has been selected by our local colleagues as being suitable for shorter durations for both the host community and the volunteer. Although you will gain valuable cultural insight and work intensely within the local community please be aware that you may not be able to make the same impact as someone participating for a longer period.